MILAN, Italy -- Rarely has a throw-in been celebrated with so much fervor. When Alexis Mac Allister went to ground to see the ball out of play in the dying seconds of stoppage time at San Siro, the traveling Liverpool fans greeted the tackle with the same sense of elation that would normally be reserved for a goal.

It was a moment that perfectly encapsulated the quiet, battling brilliance of the Reds' UEFA Champions League 1-0 victory over Internazionale , with the mood on the pitch and in the stands one of defiance following a turbulent few days for head coach Arne Slot and his players. That the win was secured via a penalty -- dispatched emphatically by the relentless Dominik Szoboszlai in the 88th minute -- carried a certain sense of irony.

Certainly, nobody will have been

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